Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-14
SHORTHAND WRITING.
STENOGRAPhY CAREFULLY CON-
SlDERED AS A CALLING.


Nature a" These Dr.wbacks-Not All
MAY Recome Experts.
Especial correspondence
HARRISBURG. Pa, Oct. lo.-A correct un
derstaudInG Of the requirements of a calling
is to very few more important than to the
aspirant for stenographic honorS Never be-
fore have ~ many undertaken stenography,
and the number is rapidly increasing. 1t is
not the purpose of tins article to discourage
! any one who honestly believes himself quail
fled for the pursuit. but TO show how delusvs
1 is the prevailing Idea that a few weeks or
months Of study will open sure, unob-
Structed and delightful highway to fame and
/ fortune and Ia describe some Of the peculiar
! trials and vexations incident to this most
arduou> calling The sienosrapher has been
compared to Bunyan's Pilgrim, standing at
! first with book IN hand. then encountering
manifold irouhle, and dangers; and only he,
wno has experienced the cares and dlsappoint-
meuts of st-nosraphic work. knows how apt
IN the comparison.
The Use OF >tenoSraphy in all branches of
business has msrv.lously spread in the last
! few years. and II l. now. or soon will be, the
case that n practical knowledge Of the art
will be a requisite qualification Of the appll-
cant for clerkshp. While this insures eni-
! pioyment of stenographers 1t will ultimately
reduce the compensation Of the specialist In
tue work and add to his duties. In addition
10 his regular stenographic services, he Is
now required to perform other clerical work.
which is usually odds and ends left over bg
the other clerks, or insignificant jobs that
cannot be assigned to any particular desk
! Trs increases the labor of preparation, and
as it Is done in the few odd moments when
not taking dictations or transcribing notes,
he cannot acquire by it such detailed knowl-
edge Of the business as will fit him to manage
any special department, or to develop any
other than his stenographic ability. The un-
happy result, therefore, is that the stenog-
rapher becomes sort Of utility mar, to lie
| usei for ANYTHING. when not transcribing
notes. II being difficult to determine his
exact station. whom he Is under or over, he
| generally e, mes to be ordered to do this OF
that by everybody; very painfully in the
manner Of an office boy. A short time ago
overheard an employer inquire Of a steno-
graphic applicant for position: Have You
ever had any experience at wrapping up
packages:T Surely the scope of the phonog
raphers duties is extending wi h the spread
of his art
i has been said that photography is a
stepping stone to something higher. True,
one may rise from something lower to it, and
it may obtain silt ations from which the
stenogiapher. through influence secured
there. can advance. But reaching this higher
elevation rrquires a square determination to
abandon stenography. This Is hard to do.
The more sklllful he is the more reluct,St
will the employer be to part with him or
promote him to some other work. He sees
other clerks advanced for appreciated busi.
hess ability, while the appreciation of his
skill tends to keep him where he is. Employ
ers come to expect nothing from him but
shorthand, except trifiing tasks. and he thus
works under the shadow of men who have
not devoted 'O0th OF the time and labor he
has 10 preparation. So the shorthand sticks
to him, holding him down to one position by
fetters he has forged by his dexterity.
once read an article III which it was
stated that if the same time, energy and ca
pabilities which the attainment OF steno-
graphic speed requires, were devoted 10 al
most any other promising pursuit. the returns
would be far greater. With the resentment
Of All enthusiastic u:ent, declared that
the statement was the uutinely offspring Of
= mind suured by failure and disappointment.
The same may possibly be said Of this article,
but after several wears of experience, uieeting
such success as the calling affords, ! am
constrained to say that the writer knew
~hereof he spoke, and that til" statement was
the legitimate offspring Of mind not soured
but saddened by disappointment. Who ever
heard Of a stenographer scribhling himself
into great wealth or distinction. Dickens
Gas a shorthand writer. but that did not win
bis fame WHO knows of any brown ston.
front grazing n fashionable neiShborhood
solely because a man traied pot hooks in a
note hooks But there is mansion whose
very shadows are beautiful that rose from the
homely butter, eggs and lard of yonder
grocery. and there are scores Of others whose
foundations sprang from equally humble pur
suits. The stenographer may build stately
air castles upon possible speculations or some
iniependent business. but he hasn't time TO
perfectly plan his projects OF to work up his
determination, SO he keeps on plying his pen.
the opportunities pass his courage To branch
out for himself wancs, and the castles. dema-
terialized, stand before him in tantalizng
grandeur
The general helief seems to be that short
hand writer is equal to any amount Of labor.
Because he can record language at n high
speed, it is supposed this rapidity extends to
everything lie does, whereas il takes him as
long rs any one else TO write in loighand. II
seems sometimes rs II employers believe that
stenoSraphy is n sort Of elixir that renews
the strength and charms away fatigue,
or that, as reward for the pro-
aigious labor Of its requirement some
teneticent spirit had revealed the location
of the fountain Of perpetual youth. The
truth is. however, that few pursuits are more
wearing and enervating. In taking DOWN
a rapid speech from dictation-ani here the
stenograph.r gets no mercy-there is II weak
enng tension upon the mind, eyes. ears and
hands; indeed every faculty must lie keeuly
alive to hear and remember, wnle writing
the words already spoken, what the speaker
is saving in advance of him: ami if It Is an
important matter, III which mistake might
he disastrous. the reporter feels as if. ike AT
las, lie We're bowed under :he burden OF the
world. No one but stenosrapher knows
what i, is to be overwhelmed by an avalanche
ct words.
Few employers are Intentionally hard upon
shorthand CLERKS but they do not think what
weary iruisery transcribing notes Is. To no
clerk viii II whim or hasty judgment entail
as much work as 10 the stenographer. have
written many pages. and after hurrying
through, have seen them lie unused for days,
and finally destroyed. l heard a man dictate
u circular letter, for which he had a sort OF
mania; then cooly order the stenographer to
make l25 copies-not produce them by mani
folding, but PRINT them one by one on the
typewriter J his is ali exceptional instance,
but it shows how meanness or whIms affect .
stenographer
Legal reporting is the highest branch of
the calling. being the most responsible ard
remunera;ive. 1t is the nearest approach to
managing an independent business; Yet it is
far from the Independence of enterprises III
which capital is invested. The remuneration
being usually fixed 10y law, the >tenosrapheI
is unrestricted only in the amount Of work
sc that in a nse his strength and endurance
are his capital, and q very fuctuating cne il
is He must work ncessan,ly to earu enough
to Iay necessary help nni have left a coma
peten," His amanuensiS. IN turn mus, to,,
at trau>cribing the dry details Of lsw case.
from morning till late at night at low wages